Norma

Norma, a constellation named by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century, is a relatively inconspicuous southern celestial formation. Depicting a carpenter's square, this constellation is situated near the celestial south pole and is most visible from southern latitudes.

Stars

Gamma2 Normae, the brightest star in Norma, exists as a binary star system located roughly 160 light-years away. Among others, Beta Normae, Delta Normae, and Epsilon Normae also inhabit this region, contributing to the constellation's stellar makeup.

Objects

The Norma Cluster, also recognized as the Abell 3627 cluster, is a dense galaxy cluster situated around 220 million light-years from Earth. Moreover, the Norma Star Cloud—a region within the Milky Way housed in Norma—holds numerous star-forming regions, gas clouds, and youthful stars, contributing to its significance in astronomical observations.

History

Norma was part of Lacaille's catalogue of southern constellations created during his astronomical observations, depicting a carpenter’s square, emphasizing its origin as an astronomer's construct rather than a figure from ancient mythology.